Phil White opened the 34-room Broome Beaches Backpackers business last the weekend, providing much-needed budget accommodation for the town.
Phil White opened the 34-room Broome Beaches Backpackers business last the weekend, providing much-needed budget accommodation for the town.
Mr White, whose brother and son have relocated from Perth to help him run the business, knows all too well that a shortage of residential accommodation is driving workers out of Broome’s hospitality industry.
As a part-owner of Broome’s Divers Tavern, Mr White was involved in renting a property 12 months ago to house the pub’s general manager, chef and two duty managers.
The company chips in some of the $800 per week fee and the employees pay the rest.
“Staffing is a major issue,” Mr White told Business Class.
“It’s not finding them, but finding a place for them.”
Mr White said Divers had been keen to look after its staff, taking the lead from Cable Beach Club, which bought a neighbouring resort to provide accommodation for its staff in 2005.
“It gave them an edge on everyone else,” Mr White said.
Mr White has also built two houses on the site of his Beaches Backpackers for his brother, Bob, and son, Sam, to live in.
He said it would have been extremely difficult for him to open the resort if his brother and son had not decided to join him in Broome.
Beaches Backpackers is principally targeting the budget accommodation market.
He refers to the resort as a “flashpackers” – the term currently used by the industry to describe upmarket backpacker accommodation.
It is located behind the popular Zoo Café on Sanctuary Road, which is within walking distance of the iconic Cable Beach.
Mr White has owned the land for the past four years and said he was keen to develop something different to the four- and five-star resorts in the area.
“We have introduced a low-cost option,” Mr White said. “We have listened to people over the years who say they love Broome and want to come here but the accommodation is very expensive.”
Beaches Backpackers includes 12 hotel-style rooms, two two-bedroom suites and 30 dormitory style rooms with shared bathroom facilities.
Mr White said a hotel-style room with an ensuite was priced at $150 per night during the peak season, which compared to about $500 to $600 per night at an upmarket resort.
It appears other operators are also realising the need to provide housing on-site.
The Shire of Broome is currently assessing several resort proposals, including the 46-unit short-stay Sanctuary Drive Resort, which also includes room for permanent accommodation. The shire has recently approved a yet-to-be-named 186 self-contained unit development, which also includes 34 residential units.
